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Criteria CWA | Helpful Hint (HH) |
1. PROJECT AREA DESCRIPTION AND PLANS FOR REVITALIZATION (45 POINTS) A common pitfall of this section is to write too much upfront and lose points in other sections: Be Concise: Start with a brief introduction for the overview that sets the context. Avoid lengthy explanations and plan to expand on the details throughout the grant narrative. This keeps the reader engaged and assist you with a “cohesive” grant narrative. Use Minimal Statistics in this section and compare and contrast data. For example, “City unemployment is 10% compared to county unemployment at 4%.” Always provide sources for your statistics. | |
1.a Coalition Members, Target Areas and Brownfields (25 points) | |
a.i. Coalition Members (5 pts) | Please see FAQs J.4. through J.13. of the FY2025 FAQs for information about Coalition Members. ● Justify the creation of a coalition to share capacity among coalition members. ● The coalition must include at least one member that has never been awarded a Brownfields MARC Gran ● Avoid using acronyms and technical/organizational jargon. Write as though the reader knows NOTHING about your community – which is likely very true! |
a.ii. Overview Challenges, Description of Target areas (5 pts) | ● Clearly identify the geographic boundary for this grant (i.e. city limit, regional development district boundary, state borders, etc.). Your geographic boundary will be larger than you target area(s). ● Use known facts about the area to create a general “picture” such as: “a former mining community”, a “rural and predominantly farming town”; “a city known for its mostly industrial economy”, etc. ● Include the area and population size so the reviewer gets an idea if this is an urban area or small rural community. If community has less than 15,000 residents, refer to the page number in your Other Factors Checklist. ● When discussing brownfields challenges and their impacts within the geographic boundary (why do you have these brownfields, why are they a problem, who is affected and how): ● Include background information on any brownfield challenges (e.g., loss of jobs, high unemployment, loss of tax base, etc.…) ● Reference the number (even estimated number) of brownfields in the area so the reviewer can see the magnitude of your brownfield problem ● Demonstrate cumulative impact of brownfields on surrounding community and how residents are overburdened when compared to the county, region, or other large areas ● Discuss relevant facts but tell your story to help the reviewer understand why you really need this grant to make things better for the impacted community. Include a discussion on how you plan to address these sites with the funding requested. This will lead into the description of your target area(s).
Target Areas: ● Remember to identify at least one target area for each coalition member (i.e., the lead and non-lead members). Target areas cannot overlap. ● Clearly identify and describe your target area(s). These areas can be described using census tract numbers, neighborhood, or corridor name, etc.; however, to make sure that the reviewers have a clear idea where your target area(s) is/are located within your community. Examples include proximity to residential neighborhoods, downtown districts, a known body of water, major ports, interstate(s), direction from downtown, or major industry. ● Within each Target Area, describe the location of your brownfields, i.e., in the center of town, outskirts, close to or in neighborhoods/schools, in a historic section, along a reinvestment corridor, or near other sensitive populations, etc. ● Brownfield challenges can include blight, higher crime rate, job loss, population outmigration, perceived environmental issues, health issues, etc. Support your statements by highlighting key statistics (population loss over time, poverty, unemployment, job loss, environmental justice issues) that you present in more detail in the IV.E.2.a Community Need subsections. ● Describe how this grant will help alleviate or address those challenges. Search your State or Tribal environmental databases for evidence of known releases or use (Platform for Exploring Environmental Records) PEER Tool — Community Lattice. You want to show that the brownfield sites are significantly impacting your communities or target areas and the specific types of challenges/impacts for/on the community. Please see FAQ C.14 from FY2025 FAQs for additional links. |
a.iii. Description of Priority Brownfield Sites (10 points) | Provide a clear overview of the brownfield sites in the target areas. (Include properties like longtime-vacant lots, blighted or aging buildings, historic dry cleaners, historic gas stations, former manufacturing site etc.). Use address, assessor’s parcel or tax lot number to identify the site.
Confirm in the narrative that a priority site is located within a disadvantaged community (CEJST). Please note, if none of the priority Brownfields are located within a disadvantaged community then you may only earn up to 2 points out of 5 in criteria 3(a) Identification of Environmental Justice Issues.
Some examples as to why sites are a priority for assessment and subsequent reuse: ● Good redevelopment potential ● Significant health impacts or potential exposure impacts to residents ● Community concern – Sites are in the midst of a neighborhood, proximal to schools, parks and are unsafe, unsecured, attracts vagrants
Take a look at the Other Factors check list (Section V.A.) and see if any of those factors apply (i.e. is the site adjacent or near a body of water or federally designated floodplain, is the site impacted by mine-scarred lands, etc.). Bodies of water can be large or small and might include lakes, rivers, creeks, marshes, wetlands, or floodplains. Indicate if any of the priority site(s) are impacted by mine-scarred lands or a coal-fired power plant recently closed - refer to the page number in your Other Factors Checklist.
Describe the extent of the brownfields problem including impacts to the health and well-being of people in the target area. Helpful links include: ● Contact your State or Tribal Brownfield Authority or Search state/tribal databases for contaminated sites in the target area ● See information about your community - MyEnvironment | US Environmental Protection Agency (epa.gov) ● Use PEER (Platform for Exploring Environmental Records) and describe how these and underutilized sites significantly impact the target area and the specific types of challenges/impacts they are causing to the community ● Local Government Blight Reports or Code Enforcement
Do not include demographic and health data here - refer the reader to the Section 2 subsection where this information is detailed.
Note, for all applications except those from Tribes, eligible Tribal entities, and territories, if none of the priority sites identified in 1.a.ii. Description of the Priority Brownfield Site(s) are located within a disadvantaged community (as identified by CEJST), then the response may only earn up to 2 out of 5 points in the Community Need Section “Environmental Justice”.
● EPA Cleanups in my Community ● Data.Gov ● Local Government Blight Reports or Code Enforcement Do not include demographic and health data here - refer the reader to the Section 2 subsection where this information is detailed. Describe the extent of the brownfields problem including impacts to the health and well-being of people in the target area. Helpful links include: ● Contact your State or Tribal Brownfield Authority or Search state/tribal databases for contaminated sites in the target area ● See information about your community - MyEnvironment | US Environmental Protection Agency (epa.gov) ● Use PEER (Platform for Exploring Environmental Records) and describe how these and underutilized sites significantly impact the target area and the specific types of challenges/impacts they are causing to the community ● EPA Cleanups in my Community ● Data.Gov
Note, for all applications except those from Tribes, eligible Tribal entities, and territories, if none of the priority sites identified in 1.a.ii. Description of the Priority Brownfield Site(s) are located within a disadvantaged community (as identified by CEJST), then the response may only earn up to 2 out of 10 points in the Community Need Section “Environmental Justice”. |
a.iv. Identifying addtl sites (5 pts) | Describe the selection process and prioritization criteria (immediate job creation, removal of contaminants to prevent exposure, motivated developer, data sources. It is highly recommended to add a priority for sites located in “disadvantaged communities” identified in CEJST. Criteria should include consistency with the existing targeted brownfield sites. |
1.b. Revitalization of the Target Area (10 points) | |
b.i. Reuse Strategy/Alignment w/plans (5 pts) | Describe the reuse strategy for the site(s) or the general target area(s). For example: area will be developed as a greenbelt with a community garden; or property will be part of a multi-building affordable housing development, etc. ● Explain how the assessment will pave the way for reuse/redevelopment.
Reference a community comprehensive plan, master plan, or similar public document that indicates reuse and redevelopment in each target area(s) is consistent with a plan. If there is no such formal plan, describe how the project aligns with community priorities and how these priorities were established and when. Mention if updates to these plans are in process ● Describe how the community has been involved with the development of comprehensive or master plans, reuse strategy, vision, or other reuse/revitalization decision-making efforts. ● Include discussion of how the reuse strategies align with environmental justice, climate action, community resilience, and climate adaptation and/or mitigation measures.
If possible, try to give the reviewer a strong sense that reuse/redevelopment is likely to happen after the assessment and subsequent cleanup, if necessary, are completed.
The proposed reuse of the site(s) should align with solutions to the challenges presented in Section IV.E.1.a.i: ● If you have considered any local climate adaptation and/or mitigation measures as part of the reuse strategy, mention it in this section and refer to the page number in your Other Factors Checklist. See FAQs S.5., S.6., and T.3. in the FY 2025 FAQs for more information. ● If your proposed project may potentially cause the displacement of residents and/or businesses, describe any strategies to minimize these effects, such as plans to develop affordable housing or additional commercial leasing close to or in the target area(s). See EPA Strategies to Minimize Displacement
Helpful links: ● State/Local plan/documents mentioned above: redevelopment, reuse, sustainability, climate action, infrastructure, etc. ● Fourth National Climate Assessment (globalchange.gov)
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b.ii. Outcomes/Benefits Reuse Strategy (5 pts) | The guidelines are focused on disadvantaged populations. Describe how your reuse strategy will benefit disadvantaged populations and the community at large (for example: provide affordable housing and jobs, access to food, health care, recreation, etc.). See E.7 and E.8 in the FY2025 FAQS for more information on underserved and disadvantaged communities.
Link the outcomes and benefits of the project(s) consistent with the issues described in Section 1.a.i (Overview of Brownfield Challenges and Description of Target Areas) and Section 2.a.(Community Need), to your target communities.
● Specify how many acres of reusable land will be created if all site(s) is/are cleaned up. ● When applicable, describe how underserved communities benefit. ● Be sure to link the outcomes and benefits of the project to your targeted communities as described in subsection 1.a.i. and the statistics you provide in the "Overview of Brownfield Challenges and Description of Target Area" and "Community Need" sections. Stress how the outcomes will directly benefit the disadvantaged populations. ● if your project can be tied to anti-sprawl concepts, describe it here.
Describe the desired outcomes and benefits from reuse, particularly how the proposed projects or revitalization plans will benefit disadvantaged communities. ● Will your proposed projects improve local climate adaptation/mitigation capacity and resilience: upgrade stormwater controls to reduce local flooding in the target area, appropriate building materials, local food production, landscaping with trees and maximize green space to minimize urban heat index, etc. ● How will the project potentially incorporate renewable energy or energy efficiency measures? Will renewable energy be used as part of the site reuse, will building codes require certain energy efficiency measures or standards? More information for this topic can be found at: Are You Considering Renewable Energy or Energy-Efficient Approaches in Your Brownfields Redevelopment? | US EPA ● Provide specific anticipated outcomes and economic improvements, such as X% increase in tax base, number of jobs this project may create, etc. Specify how many acres of reusable land will be available if all sites get assessed and/or cleaned up. If you cannot be specific, provide a realistic estimate based on reliable resources. ● If applicable, describe how the project preserves greenfields, creates or adds to a park, greenway, recreational property or other property used for non-profit purposes. Provide metrics such as X acres of new greenspace in a low-income neighborhood, X number of pocket parks in developed areas, X square miles protected from sprawl, etc.
Check out Section T in the FY2025 FAQs for more Benefits of Brownfields Projects. |
c. Strategy for Leveraging Resources (10 points) | |
c.i. Resources for Site Reuse (5 pts) | All leveraged funding should be easily identifiable including the source of the funding, activity being funded, and amount. Do not just list random funding received/sought, but make sure the reviewer can clearly see how it links to your assessment, cleanup and redevelopment project. It is important to note leveraging resources that have been secured and those that are pending or being sought (e.g., applied for a grant.) Applications which demonstrate some level of secured funding will be viewed more favorably. ● Discuss eligibility and plans for leveraging funds from other sources in order to show commitment to complete assessment, cleanup and reuse the property. ● If you have not already secured leveraged funding, demonstrate that you have the ability to leverage funds and describe the ones you are pursuing. Describe possible local, state, federal or regional resources. The more variety, the better. Local commitments are especially important. Think about what your partners, if you have any, can contribute and discuss it here. ● Describe possible local, state, federal or regional resources. The more variety, the better. Local commitments are especially important. Think about what your coalition members and partners can contribute and discuss it here.
EPA and State targeted brownfields assessments (TBAs), completed or proposed, are examples of leveraging. Examples of funding resources include other federal funding (e.g. HUD, EDA, USDA, etc.), Opportunity Zone developer credits, State program (e.g. State Tax Credits), local funds (tax increment financing zones), philanthropic foundations, and traditional private financing. |
c.ii. Use of Existing Infrastructure (5pts) | Infrastructure refers to roads and utilities (sewer, water, electricity, broadband, etc.); transportation (bus, train or air); other energy and telecommunications and even housing and business services needed to support redevelopment. Be as inclusive as possible.
Include information about the reuse of existing infrastructure at the priority site(s) or target area. Indicate if the infrastructure in place (water, sewer, electricity) was built for large capacity industrial or commercial activities and whether you believe it can be used for your proposed reuse.
Describe the benefit of using existing infrastructure: ● money and energy savings, reuse/recycling of materials, etc. ● avoiding construction noise, dust and traffic associated with building new infrastructure. ● Preservation of history and culture of an area ● If applicable, explain how your project can/will lead to any sustainable reuse of buildings or structures.
If additional infrastructure is needed, discuss what is needed and the plan for how funding for it will be sought or provided. Please see the Infrastructure Evaluation (epa.gov) for definition of infrastructure needed during redevelopment.
The benefits of infrastructure upgrades may include: ● energy efficient building construction (energy efficient lighting, heating, cooling, building materials ● energy efficient replacement of lead pipes or updated septic or sewer systems ● connections to public drinking water sources for residential developments ● traffic and pedestrian safety features, energy savings that result in cleaner air and water, etc. ● mitigation of vehicle congestion and air pollution ● updated lighting, walkways, and trails to promote safety and connectivity throughout the community |
2. COMMUNITY NEED AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT (40 POINTS) This section focuses on community needs especially communities within your geographic boundaries and in your target area(s) that cannot secure funding because of small populations and/or low income needs and needs to tie back to Section IV.E.1.a.i Background and Description of Target Area. | |
a.i. Community Need for Funding (5 pts) | Note: if the inability to draw on initial sources of funding is not due to the small population and/or low income of the community then your response may only earn up to two points out of five points.
This section should be consistent with the descriptions written in 1.a.i. (Background and Description of Target Area). Community is described as the communities within the geographic area(s) targeted in the application. Explain the need for funds: ● Support your statements by highlighting key statistics (population loss over time, poverty, unemployment, job loss, environmental justice issues) that you have presented in the Overview of Brownfield Challenges in Section 1. ● What economic conditions, limited taxes or other situations limit the funding available for addressing your brownfields sites ● If applicable, because a community either has a small population (15,000) or low income. ● Refer to the page number in your Other Factors Checklist for populations below 15,000. ● Why the community has no other source of funding for the proposed assessment, remediation or redevelopment activities. ● Describe the economic impacts of your brownfields. For example: did prospective employers back out because of environmental unknowns of the property they were looking at? Does the community have to pay for maintenance of the brownfield site(s), is there an increase in policing required because of the brownfields? How will this grant address these issues?
Use statistics (with citations) to support your statements about small population, low income or other relevant demographics that show need. Include the targeted community as well as the community, as a whole, to describe the economic impacts of your brownfields: ● Reviewing sales tax data, or assessed valuations of property to identify downward trends that demonstrate that brownfields have been a partial cause of financial impact to the target area and made other funding from taxes unavailable ● focus your census data and describe the adverse impact of brownfields on a subset of the population (consider using census blocks rather than census tracts). |
2.a.ii. Threats to Sensitive Populations (20 points) Sensitive populations include “children, pregnant women, minority or low-income communities, or other sensitive populations. However, there is no one definition of a sensitive population. See S.4. in the FY2025 FAQs for more information about sensitive populations.
Sections a.ii.(1-3) criteria are focused on the Target Area(s) for your project(s). | |
(1) Health/Welfare Sensitive Pop (5 pts) | Include demographics on sensitive populations (children, elderly, or people with chronic conditions). If the sensitive populations statistics do not support your application favorably, focus on those statistics that reflect the disadvantaged nature of the community (lack of medical services, food desert, veterans population, etc. ). Discuss the proximity of residential areas, hospitals, schools, daycare facilities or elder care and assisted living facilities to brownfield sites.
For smaller communities use any and all available information to provide a picture of the impact brownfields have on communities in target areas. Note that the information provided needs to tie back to Sections 1.a.i., 2.a.ii.
Severity of health or welfare: ● Include health effects in the community that are possibly directly or indirectly caused by contaminants present at the brownfield sites in the target area. This can include infant mortality rate, incidence of asthma and cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, low life expectancy, etc. ● Do not forget mental health (depression may be linked to the presence of brownfields). ● Is the brownfield site or target area an attraction to crime or unsafe activities or located in an area of high crime – will the project reduce these threats? ● If you are unsure of the contaminants found at your site(s), you can find more information at Environmental Contaminants Often Found at Brownfield Sites (epa.gov) ● Describe contaminants associated with your priority brownfield sites and get information about associated health effects (https://wwwn.cdc.gov/TSP/ToxFAQs/ToxFAQsLanding.aspx).
Contact your local health department for any statistics that support your discussion. If data is not available at the target area level, explain how the data used (i.e. city or county level data) is representative of the target area. If your community has a Community Action Program (CAP) that serves sensitive and disadvantaged populations, review their Community Needs Assessment. Local and Regional Hospitals also provide a Community Health Needs Assessment for communities. Please see helpful links below:
● County Health Rankings & Roadmaps ● CDC Places Interactive Map https://www.cdc.gov/places/index.html ● Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC/ATSDR) Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) ● IPCC Data Distribution Center ● City Health Dashboard ● U.S. Census Bureau Data ● ● Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) Portal ● CDC National Vital Statistic System (NVSS) ● National Institute on Health (NIH) National Cancer Institute (NCI) State Profiles ● NIH National Institute on Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) Statistics ● U.S. Office of Minority Health SVI
See C.14. in the FY2025 FAQs for more examples of health, welfare, environmental, and other demographic information that may help you provide information about your community.
Describe how the grant funds will address these threats. i.e. if greenspace is created, correlate how it will promote outdoor recreation, exercise, etc. that will improve the health and welfare of these sensitive populations.
Discuss how your project and associated reuse strategy will identify and mitigate human health risks (i.e. via removal of contaminants, prevention of pollution (via zoning, codes, etc.) and prevention of future brownfields through sustainable redevelopment). Can also include the addition of sidewalks or bike lanes that will provide pedestrian safety, better walkability, and transportation alternatives. |
(2) Greater Than Normal Incidence (5 pts) | Note, if populations in the target area(s) do not suffer from a greater-than-normal incidence of cancer, asthma, or birth defects, then the response may only earn up to 2 points out of 5 points.
Helpful Links: ● Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC/ATSDR) SVI ● PLACES: Local Data for Better Health | CDC ● IPCC Data Distribution Center ● City Health Dashboard ● U.S. Census Bureau Data ● ● Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) Portal ● CDC National Vital Statistic System (NVSS) ● National Institute on Health (NIH) National Cancer Institute (NCI) State Profiles ● NIH National Institute on Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) Statistics ● U.S. Office of Minority Health SVI
Address cancer, asthma and birth defects rates) that may be associated with exposure to hazardous substances, pollutants, contaminants, or petroleum. If one or all of these are not elevated compared to the region, State, U.S., mention this. If other statistics are elevated, such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, lower life expectancy, etc.; mention it and make a potential connection with your brownfields. Work with the local or state health department to gather data on incidence of disease and adverse health conditions for your target area(s). Use negative trends or disproportionate percentages to demonstrate negative health impacts in your target area(s). Compare local data to regional, state and federal statistics.
See Section S “Brownfields, Public Health and Climate Change” in the 2025 FAQs for more information.
Describe how you have and/or will prioritize brownfields that contribute to impacts on residents who are already experiencing greater cumulative public health threats or greater than normal incidence of disease or adverse health conditions. i.e., if a community is potentially impacted by proximity to a power plant or heavily used highway, as well as proximity to brownfields, explain this situation and the urgency for alleviating impacts to their health, such as asthma or heart conditions. Indicate that this grant will allow you to identify and address those issues for those residents impacted.
Describe how the project and reuse strategy may help reduce or mitigate impacts to the health of the target population by assessing contaminants at the site which can lead to cleanup and redevelopment of the site. Include elimination of exposure to contaminants through cleanup and any site improvements that will benefit the community, like parks for recreation, trees for air quality, healthy food, or other social determinants of health incorporated into reuse plan. Another example, if asbestos and mold are addressed, asthma rates may decline in populations surrounding a site.
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(3) Environmental Justice (10 points) Note for all applications except those from Tribes, eligible Tribal entities, and territories, if none of the priority sites identified in 1.a.ii. Description of the Priority Brownfield Site(s) are located within a disadvantaged community (as identified by CEJST), then the response may only earn up to 2 points.) The focus of this criteria is in your Target Areas. | |
(a) ID EJ Issues (5 pts) | ● EPA defines environmental justice as the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. Discuss how environmental justice issues affect underserved populations in the target area(s). This may include: ● How the brownfields have disproportionately impacted underserved populations and how this grant and projected reuse will promote environmental justice in the target area(s). ● Link those impacts to the brownfield sites. Use statistics to make the case; i.e. cite high unemployment, low median incomes, etc. in the area near your brownfield sites/target area(s) or where the community has had a disproportionate share of negative environmental consequences such as hazardous waste sites, landfills, illegal dumping, etc. ● How grant funding will help by identifying and removing a source of pollution and blight from further impacting this population while adding jobs and contributing toward economic growth while reducing health threats. Make sure the outcomes and benefits stated here are consistent with those identified in Section 1.b.ii (Outcomes and Benefits of Reuse Strategy). ● Make sure you discuss how your project will promote environmental justice amongst the underserved populations. For example, if lack of affordable housing or jobs are challenges for the target area(s), discuss specifically how your project will create jobs or affordable housing, if applicable. ● Don't forget: by virtue of cleaning up environmental contamination, your project will benefit underserved populations in your target area. Your project should promote a vibrant community. Some attributes that can enhance community health are mixed-use, appropriate density, housing choice and walkability, greenspace, opportunities for recreation, etc. - if applicable to your project. |
(b)Advancing EJ (5 pts) | Discuss how these grant funds and projected site reuse(s) will advance environmental justice in a community that may be overburdened by pollution in the target area: ● Mention how the proposed project will help reduce or remove community features that contribute to health disparities. ● Discuss policies or strategies that will be implemented to minimize displacement, e.g., affordable housing and measures that will be taken to ensure that it remains affordable over time ● Discuss any climate resilience in the reuse plan, and how these benefits underrepresented communities. ● Consider the benefits of cleaning up contamination and reducing exposure to contaminants, infrastructure/transportation improvements that will increase safety/minimize crime, creating jobs, access to healthy foods or other if the reuse is a commercial venue, etc.
If your proposed project may potentially cause the displacement of residents and/or businesses, describe any strategies to minimize these effects, such as plans to develop affordable housing or additional commercial leasing close to or in the target area(s). See EPA Strategies to Minimize Displacement |
2.b. Community Engagement (15 points) | |
b.i. Project Involvement (5 pts) | USE the sample format provided in the guidelines, or use a format that is legible and includes the information on the table provided in the guidelines. This clearly and concisely provides the information requested by EPA and will facilitate the review for those reviewing your application. (Note, a plan that does not involve at least one relevant community-based organization or community liaison representing residents directly affected by the project work in the target area(s) will be evaluated less favorably.)
Listed partners should be local organizations and have a commitment or special interest in the proposed project. Quality is better than quantity. For example, if your projected reuse is on housing then you should have a partner with relevant expertise in housing. ● Ensure that target area projects are represented by a partner. ● If your community is small or remote enough that no local community organizations exist, make sure you state that but also explain how your community is engaged with the project. ● Your local Chamber of Commerce, citizen groups, environmental organizations, etc., qualify as community organizations. Schools, Churches and youth groups in the community also qualify. Include a diverse list of partners covering multiple aspects of your project. Try to include organizations such as: local citizen groups, environmental groups, developer groups, chamber(s) of commerce, property owners as well as governmental/public entities supporting brownfield redevelopment such as the local health department, local community college or university, local and regional economic development agencies and local brownfield and environmental departments. |
b.ii. Project Roles (5 pts) | Letters of Commitment from your partners are no longer required. ● Discuss how each non-lead coalition member will be engaged and informed. ● Discuss how you have intentionally involved the community with regards to the brownfield sites in the target area. Mention all the ways you have engaged them in any of the steps of the redevelopment process. ● See FAQs E.4, E.5, E.6 in FY25 FAQs for more information on “local organizations/entities/groups”, partner roles, and meaningful involvement. ● Diversify your partnerships by covering multiple aspects of your project to include at least one community-based and/or community liaison representing residents directly affected by the work in the target area(s). Try to include organizations such as: local citizen groups, environmental groups, developer groups, chamber(s) of commerce, property owners as well as governmental/public entities supporting brownfield redevelopment such as the local health department, local community college or university, local and regional economic development agencies and local brownfield and environmental departments. ● If your community(ies) is small or remote and no local community organizations exist, address this in this section and show how your community is engaged with someone such as your local Chamber of Commerce, citizen groups, environmental organizations, schools, etc. who may be considered as an acceptable substitute for community organizations in this unusual situation. ● Have your partners review and provide input on your application! EPA may randomly check up on partners to ensure they are fully aware and knowledgeable of their role in the project. ● Meet with and discuss your application with your potential partners early. Include names, if possible, to demonstrate the partners are indeed committed. |
b.iii. Community Input(5 pts) | Develop a clear, complete and robust community engagement program. Use resources like Advancing Equity in Land Reuse and Visioning to help develop a robust program.
Some examples of involving the affected/target community include: ● In-person meetings may be more successful if held in or proximal to each target area or priority brownfield site. ● Holding public meetings where the progress/result of the assessment project is explained, engage the community up front in site selection/prioritization and with re-use planning for the sites and target area. ● Public meetings, web sites, social media, newspaper and newsletters are mechanisms you can use to provide updates to the community and ask for feedback/comments. ● Indicate if you already have a process or community engagement plan that you've successfully used in your community. Explain how your methods are appropriate for your community; i.e., most of your community members work during the day so you schedule your meeting in the evening when more are available to attend; you offer childcare to encourage parents to attend, etc. ● Address any language barriers within your targeted community, i.e. provide translation services (meeting invitations, meetings, documents) as needed. If all of your community speaks English, then be sure to mention this so the reviewer doesn't think you've missed this aspect. ● Address the needs of sensitive populations - for example, provide ADA accessible meeting space if your targeted community consists of a high percentage of seniors. ● Consider various methods of reaching and receiving feedback from underserved populations, such as remote videoconferences, radio, street fairs, surveys, etc. ● Make sure your community engagement includes soliciting input from the community and not just updating them on site progress. Include: ● Frequency of communication and how input will be solicited, considered, and responded to using the various methods described above.
See socially_distant_engagement_ideas.pdf (epa.gov) if needed for your communities. |
3. TASK DESCRIPTIONS, COST ESTIMATES, AND MEASURING PROGRESS (45 points) | |
3.a. Description of Tasks/Activities and Outputs (25 points) Use the EPA sample format contained in the Guidelines to provide the requested information. Doing so will help ensure you include all the requested information and make it easier for the reviewer to evaluate the information. ● If you anticipate hiring a contractor, explain what project activities the contractor will perform. You will need to comply with procurement procedures in 2 CFR §200.318 for any contractors paid for using the grant. ● Make sure each of the activities listed are necessary, relevant and appropriate for completing the project in the 4-year period of the grant. ● Do not include activities that are ineligible uses of funds under EPA’s Assessment Coalition Grant (i.e., land acquisition; remediation, building demolition). ● A response that includes ineligible tasks/activities will be evaluated less favorably. Refer to the G.10 and G.11 in the 2025 FAQs for additional examples of ineligible uses of funds (including administrative costs). For questions not covered by the FAQs, contact your Regional Brownfields Contact listed in Section VII. | |
a.i. Project implementation (10 pts) | List and describe the tasks necessary to complete for your project to be successful. Multiple activities may be grouped under one task. For example, the task “Project Management” may include contractor procurement, reporting, etc. Your task/activities should represent a sound and efficient plan for performing the overall project Ensure that each task includes information on the task lead, anticipated outputs, estimated cost, and start and end dates.
Be realistic with your tasks and number of outputs. If you know that a priority site requires a complex site investigation to be able to develop an ABCA, then consider that in your budget.
Avoid listing outputs that will ultimately be unattainable based on the budget (i.e. high number of Phase I and Phase II ESAs). Keep in mind that if you are awarded a grant, the Cooperative Agreement and Workplan that follows will be based on your application.
If a key activity associated with your project is not going to be included in your budget, explain why. For example, if another part of your organization or project partners will be taking care of community involvement activities as an in-kind contribution and is not charging this to the grant, note that. Otherwise, reviewers may wonder how key activities will get accomplished and think you’ve failed to include key information.
Subawards may be conveyed to eligible entities, such as nonprofits, local government, etc. Note: Coalition projects that propose to subaward aspects of the programmatic, administrative, and financial requirements will be evaluated less favorably.
Indicate the process you will use to determine which entities will receive participant support costs, the reason, and the method of providing the assistance. Note: Applicants that plan to use grant funds to support more than one community liaison per target area will be evaluated less favorably
For more information about Subawards, see Grants Policy Issuance (GPI) 16-01: EPA Subaward Policy for EPA Assistance Agreement Recipients | US EPA |
a.ii. Anticipated Schedule (5 pts) | Describe the anticipated project schedule by months or quarters - not years. For example: "Community engagement activities will begin in the 2nd Quarter of the First Year"." Public meetings providing updates on the cleanup will occur bi-annually in Years 2, 3 and 4."
Include a timeline/schedule of milestones demonstrating how you will complete the proposed activities within 4 years. Have aggressive yet realistic milestones. ● Include all key activities in your schedule, i.e. procuring a Qualified Environmental Professional, inventory work, site access, community engagement, site selection, Phase Is, Phase IIs, cleanup planning, etc. Include anticipated dates for key events such as procurement of contractors, etc.… rather than saying “ongoing: for all tasks. ● Applicants may include pre-award costs incurred up to 90 days before award. Travel expenses for brownfields-related training, such as the National Brownfields Training Conference, are an eligible expense. See FAQ G.8. in FY2025 FAQs for more on pre-award costs. Explain any activities that will occur beyond the priority sites, the timing for these, and why they need to occur in order to have a successful project. |
a.iii.Task/Activity Lead (5 pts) | Identify activity leads that are qualified for the roles they will be performing: · Task lead should be within the applicants' organization, providing oversight to contractors or subawardees as appropriate. If a lead is not with the applicant's organization, include a justification. |
a.iv.Outputs (5 pts) | List and briefly describe outputs. Be realistic on the outputs and the budget. If possible, consult with someone knowledgeable about costs for environmental tasks. Outputs are work products that are measurable and will be done on a set schedule or by a set date. For example, an output could be "conduct 3 community meetings" or "complete 10 Phase I assessments". Correlate outputs with project objectives. If you proposed completing 5 Phase lls, then you should have 5 Phase II reports at the end of the grant. ● Identify the deliverables that will be required. Examples of deliverables could include: ○ Generic and site-specific quality assurance plans, as required by the EPA Region ○ Quarterly progress reports ○ Annual Financial reports ○ Phase I and II ESA reports ○ Cleanup Plans |
3.b. Cost Estimates (15 pts) | Do not change the "Budget Categories" in the table, as these are the standard federal budget categories. If a budget category is not relevant, then leave it blank, but do not delete.
Tasks: ● Feel free to add additional Tasks in the budget table if more than four Tasks are needed. However, too many Tasks may be difficult for reviewers to follow. Typical task categories may include: Program/Project Management; Community Engagement; Assessment; Cleanup Planning. ● Link the budget amounts to specific tasks/activities that you described in Section IV.E.3.a. If you said you were going to procure a contractor to perform the Phase I and II assessments, then make sure the budget table includes those costs (typically under Program Management). Costs: ● Make sure it is clear to the reviewer how you calculated and arrived at the costs for each budget item. ● Explain and justify equipment and/or supply budget items. If you have "supplies", do not exceed $10,000. Anything over $10,000 is considered "equipment". Be specific about supplies, not just "miscellaneous supplies." Examples include: markers, pens, post-it notes, ink for printing, and name tags for public meetings. ● Double check that your proposed budget only includes eligible costs. See G.10, G.11 in the FY2025 FAQS for more information on ineligible activities and uses of brownfield grant funds. ● At least 60% of the budget should be directly associated with Phase I and II environmental site assessments and site-specific cleanup planning. ● Cost estimates that are included that are not reasonable or realistic to implement the grant will be evaluated less favorably. The degree of clarity on how each cost estimate was developed (including direct and/or indirect administrative costs, when applicable) and the extent to which costs per unit are presented in detail. The extent to which each proposed cost estimate is reasonable and realistic to implement the project/grant and clearly correlates with the proposed tasks/activities.
DO NOT include leveraged funding in the budget table.
Check/re-check your MATH! Your budget needs to add up correctly. Cross reference costs outlined in the Budget Table with costs described for each Task for accuracy.
Be realistic! Do not request unrealistic amounts of money for a task. The reviewer wants to see that you plan to use the funding prudently and efficiently. At the same time, include what you actually think it will cost based on past assessment work in your area. For example, if you live in an area where costs generally run high, explain this and the reason why in your basis of cost statement.
Detailed Cost Narrative: ● Make sure your basis for each cost is straightforward and easy to follow. ● Make sure it is clear to the reviewer how you calculated and arrived at the costs for each budget item. ● Cross reference costs outlined in the Budget Table with costs described for each Task for accuracy.
Avoid easy ways to lose points: ● What’s the source of the costs? Provide rationale for the values. ● Unit costs in the wrong area, not in Cost Estimates ● Indirect costs were not fully explained. ● Break down costs per unit. For example- hours x rate = $$ ● Include details on how costs are developed, with rates for personnel ● If you include any supply costs, specifically identify the supplies. |
3.c. Plan to Measure (5 pts) | Outputs are work products that are measurable and will be done on a set schedule or by a set date. Make sure outputs correlate with the proposed project and are likely to be achieved in the 4-year grant period. For example, an output could be "conduct 3 community meetings" or "complete 5 Phase I” or "complete 1 site cleanup plan". ● Outcomes are results from carrying out the grant; i.e. jobs created and funding leveraged through the economic reuse of sites; acres made ready for reuse; acres of greenspace created for communities; infrastructure investments leveraged, and the minimized exposure to hazardous substances and petroleum contamination.
Systems to Track: ● Describe a plan and mechanism for tracking and evaluating progress. Specify personnel and mechanisms, such as project management software or spreadsheets, to track your anticipated project schedule. ● Examples of tracking, measuring and evaluating are the use of quarterly and annual reports, progress tracking software, team meetings to evaluate progress and make corrections where necessary, ACRES, etc. ● Most outcomes are realized after the grant closes out. If applicable, describe how you will report outcomes after closeout, i.e. send photos of groundbreaking, press releases, send progress, and before/after photos and updates.
Don't forget to mention how you plan to report progress to ACRES. You may use the KSU TAB Brownfields Inventory Tool (BIT) etools.ksutab.org/tools/bit for tracking progress as well as conduit to report to ACRES. Note: You must be logged into your free ksutab.org account to access BiT. |
4. PROGRAMMATIC CAPABILITY AND PAST PERFORMANCE (35 points) | |
4.a.Programmatic Capability (20 points) Per the ranking criterion in Section IV.E.4.a., applicants may consolidate information for 4.a.i. – 4.a.iii. into one response. | |
a.i. Organizational Capacity (5 pts) | Describe your organization's experience with grants, programs, and tasks of similar scale and function. Provide information that will give the reviewer confidence that your organization has the experience and capacity to manage this grant and oversee grant tasks/.activities. Describe the tools and procedures, i.e. internal audits, management software, etc., that ensure operational and programmatic success.
Describe stability of the organization, city/town, or department. Give the reviewer confidence that the organization or coalition can manage this grant by describing other federally funded programs, experience with similar programs, number of employees, etc.
Discuss the lead coalition member’s capacity to do this on the coalition’s behalf. |
a.ii Structure (5 pts) | Describe your organization’s structure and departments' roles that will support management of this grant. For example, highlight existing capacity in key functions (technical, administrative, project management, financial, etc.). Outline past grants/projects of similar scale and purpose that your organization has successfully completed.
● Describe the proposed governance/decision-making structure among your coalition members. Describe how coalition members will be involved in grant decisions. Include how communications will take place and who will lead/initiate them. |
a.iii. Key Staff (5 pts) | Include information highlighting staff availability, roles, expertise, qualifications and experience. Include assignments to key roles and the expertise / qualifications / experience of assigned staff. Include their education, years of experience, or other similar projects they have worked on and managed.
Communicate how the level of expertise/qualifications/experience of your key staff will result in timely and successful expenditure of funds as you complete all technical, administrative and financial requirements of the grant.
Discuss contingency plans in case key staff quits or gets sick. Do you have an immediate replacement? If so, who? |
a.iv. Additional Resources (5 pts) | Include information about your organization’s experience in putting in place subrecipient agreements and/or contracts that you may need to implement the grant ● Present a plan for acquiring any additional resources (subrecipients and contractors) that you know you will need for successful completion of the proposed project. ● Describe your organization's system(s)to appropriately acquire any additional expertise and resources (i.e., contractors or subrecipients) required to successfully complete the project. (Note, if an applicant has selected a contractor or subrecipient without complying with applicable requirements as described in Section III.B.4., the response will be evaluated less favorably.)
Describe your organization's existing practices or plans to promote strong labor practices, local hiring/procurement, or efforts to link members of the community to potential employment opportunities in brownfields assessment, cleanup, or redevelopment related to the proposed project in a meaningful and equitable way. |
4.b. Past Performance and Accomplishments (15 points) In evaluating an applicant’s response to this criterion, in addition to the information provided by the applicant, EPA may consider relevant information from other sources including information from EPA files and/or from other federal or non-federal grantors to verify or supplement information provided by the applicant. | |
4.b.i. Has or previously received EPA grant Do not include Targeted Brownfields Assessments, Area-Wide Planning Grants, Environmental Workforce Development & Job Training Grants, and subawards from another Brownfields Grant recipient | |
(1)Accomplishments (5 pts) | For recipients of an EPA Brownfield Assessment, Cleanup, Area-Wide Planning, Revolving Loan Fund, Multipurpose or 128(a) Grant, use the three most recent grants, and specify the grant number, grant type, year received and period of performance, and amount of grant: ● Describe progress toward achieving the expected outputs and outcomes. Make sure these accomplishments are reflected in ACRES. EPA is likely to check. If you are not up to date on ACRES, and/or have not completed ACRES in the past, explain why, and list measures to comply in the future |
(2) Compliance w/ Requirements (10 pt.) This criterion is broken into 2 parts EPA is likely to check if your reports were submitted as outlined in the cooperative agreement, and accomplishments were reported and reflected in ACRES. | |
Part 1 Compliance (5 pts) | Explain any deviation(s) from the work plan and schedule, and reporting related to past/current brownfield grants. ● Indicate your success meeting the workplan, schedule, grant requirements, etc. ● If there were deviations from the proposed work summarize the issue and resolution. ● Make sure you explain any anomalies related to past/current brownfield grants. ● Discuss history of submitting all ACRES, quarterly and annual reports, and explanations for untimely reporting. Indicate if expected results were achieved and progress had been adequately documented in ACRES and/or quarterly reports. ● Discuss history of completing and submitting deliverables, and explain if targets were not met. ● If the expected results were not achieved, explain how it was resolved and communicated. |
Part 2 Compliance (5 pts) | For open grants, indicate any amount unspent and reasons for not spending the entire amount, and issues and how these are being resolved, i.e. those funds are either already committed to ongoing eligible activities or will be expended by the end of the grant. If the grant is closed and there were remaining funds, then provide a reasonable explanation for why that happened. If there were any deviations, describe the measures taken to correct them.
If you have remaining funds on any of these grants, then explain why and how those funds are either already committed to ongoing eligible activities or will be expended by the end of the grant.
For closed EPA Brownfield Grants, if there were funds remaining , provide a reasonable explanation as to why they were not expended. |
Or 4.b.ii. Has Not Received EPA Grant but other Fed funding (15 points) For applicants that have not received, or were recipients of EPA Brownfield Assessment, Cleanup, Area-Wide Planning, Revolving Loan Fund, Multipurpose or 128(a) Grant. | |
(1)Purpose and Accomplishment (5 pts) | If you haven't received an EPA Brownfield Multipurpose, Assessment, Cleanup, Revolving Loan Fund or 128(a) grant, but you have received a federal or non-federal grant (not contract) of similar size, scope or relevance to this project then complete this sub-section. Do not include federal or non-federal assistance agreements where you were a subawardee or partner. You must have been the recipient of the assistance agreement.
● Describe the granting entity, amount, activity funded, years of performance. ● Describe the history of managing these grants, i.e. federal, state, local, foundation, etc. and accomplishments of that grant. ● Describe the scope, outputs, outcomes, and other measures of success, under those grants. ● Describe what was accomplished with the funding including whether the expected results were achieved. ● Highlight a grant that has an environmental scope or is similar to an EPA Brownfields Assessment Grant.
EPA wants to have confidence your organization knows how to manage grant dollars and meet project outcomes. Try to avoid falling into IV.E.4.b.iii. which results in a neutral score. |
(2) Compliance (10 pts) | ● Describe your work plan and schedule, and outputs, and if you complied with the terms and conditions. ● Describe progress toward achieving the expected outputs and outcomes within the schedule. ● Confirm that accomplishments are reflected in the required reports If the expected results were not achieved explain why and how your organization communicated with the awarding entity. |
Or 4.b.iii Never (8 pts) If you find yourself in this category, it's ok. Include a statement that your organization has never received any type of federal or non-federal assistance agreement. If your community recently received a grant that has not been completed or not enough time has elapsed to conduct reporting or produce outputs or outcomes, explain here, and provide information on the granting agency, amount, purpose, period of performance, and any other relevant information. | |
This project has been funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under assistance agreement (41-84066501) to Kansas State University. The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Environmental Protection Agency, nor does the EPA endorse trade names or recommend the use of commercial products mentioned in this document.